Jurors in the intoxicated manslaughter trial of a 36-year-old man accused of hitting and killing two pedestrians heard testimony Wednesday from two people who witnessed the crash.

Eric Barajas is charged with two counts each of man slaughter and intoxicated manslaughter in the Oct. 30, 2009, deaths of Angela Gonzalez, 22, and her friend Orlando Figueroa, 26.

Gonzalez, Figueroa and another man had been crossing the 1400 block of Lee Treviño Drive after spending most of the night at a nearby nightclub. As Gonzalez and Figueroa stepped off a median onto the roadway, they were struck by a silver Volkswagen Jetta, allegedly driven by Barajas.

REPORTER

Adriana M. Chávez

On Wednesday, Gonzalez's friend Veronica Robles testified that on Oct. 29, 2009, she and Gonzalez made arrangements to meet friends at Whiskey Dicks, a bar in East El Paso.

After spending a few hours there, the group decided to make their way to another East Side nightclub, Revolucion on Lee Treviño Drive, which was adjacent to another nightclub, Industry.

Robles testified she ended up leaving Figueroa, Gonzalez and the rest of the group at Revolucion, and drove across the street to Geske's Fire Grill to join another group of friends.

At 2 a.m. on Oct. 30, 2009, Robles tried to drive back to Revolucion to pick up Gonzalez and Figueroa, but the entrance was blocked by a police car, Robles testified.

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She drove across the street and parked outside of a Taco Bell restaurant and sent a friend to get Figueroa and Gonzalez back to her car.

Robles, at times on the verge of tears, testified she saw Figueroa, Gonzalez and her friend standing on the median in the middle of Lee Treviño Drive as they made their way across the street, but as soon as they stepped onto the roadway, she heard a noise.

"I heard É a really loud noise. I knew it was something bad," Robles said while on the witness stand.

Robles also testified she saw something fly through the air after hearing the noise.

"I knew what it was, but I didn't wanna," Robles said before pausing. "I wasn't sure."

She said that after hearing the loud noise, she drove to a nearby Circle K, got out of her car and saw a body on the road. It was Gonzalez.

Robles testified she approached Gonzalez's body and began speaking to her.

"I'm talking to Angela, trying to keep her awake, asking her to stay with me," Robles testified.

She said an El Paso police officer soon approached her, and she called Gonzalez's mother.

During cross-examination by defense attorney Theresa Caballero, Robles said she didn't know how much Gonzalez had to drink that night, and didn't remember whether she was drinking that night.

"Angela was drunk out of her mind that night, and she was with you," Caballero said to Robles during the trial.

Caballero also asked Robles whether she knew that Gonzalez's blood alcohol concentration later measured 0.24, three times the legal limit of 0.08. Robles said she was aware Gonzalez might have been drunk that night.

Another witness, Paul Hernandez, testified he was working security at Industry the night of the crash.

Hernandez said he saw Gonzalez and Figueroa leaving the club that night, and they seemed to have no trouble walking.

Hernandez testified that Figueroa and Gonzalez were holding hands as they crossed Lee Treviño Drive. He also said he saw the Jetta hit them, and he and others ran toward the scene.

He said in court that he tried to help Gonzalez, but she was already dead.

The Jetta initially left the scene but returned a few minutes later, Hernandez testified. When the Jetta returned, Hernandez and others shouted at the Jetta's driver, whom Hernandez identified as Barajas, to get out of the car.

During questioning by defense attorney Stuart Leeds, Hernandez admitted another man working nightclub security pulled out a gun and aimed it at Barajas while demanding that Barajas exit the car. Afterward, an off-duty El Paso police officer approached Barajas and told the group of witnesses to stand back.

On Monday, an El Paso police officer assigned to the Special Traffic Investigations Unit testified he found a rose in the middle of Lee Treviño Drive that Gonzalez had been carrying when she was struck.

During the officer's testimony, Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Vandenbosch showed jurors photos of the crash scene, and photos of the injuries sustained by Gonzalez and Figueroa.

Both Gonzalez and Figueroa were struck on their right legs. Gonzalez's right leg was mangled, and her back was mottled with bruises.

Testimony is expected to continue today in the 384th District Court before Judge Patrick Garcia.

Adriana M. Chávez may be reached at achavez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6117. Follow her on Twitter @AChavezEPTimes